Educators outline dire budget options

College and university leaders, fearing further cuts, intensify plea to voters to approve tax hike package

Higher-education cuts

What Gov. Brown proposes if his tax increase plan fails in November:

$300 million from California community colleges

$500 million from UC and CSU

California’s colleges and universities are looking at fewer classes, higher student fees and layoffs unless more money can be injected into the state budget, educational leaders in San Diego and Sacramento said Wednesday.

They reiterated their plea that voters to pass Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed tax increase on the November ballot, but some questioned whether the public support would be there.

At a meeting in Sacramento, University of California Regent Bonnie Reiss urged staff to develop budget numbers that reflect the effects of deeper reductions should voters reject the tax.

“As horrible as the numbers might look to us, the better from our planning perspective to see what a conservative financial reality might look like,” she said.

As the regents were meeting, leaders of San Diego County’s five community college districts gathered locally to discuss Brown’s revised 2012-13 budget.

“It’s clearer than ever that voter approval of the governor’s tax initiative in November is the only way to avoid further dismantling of California community colleges,” Francisco Rodriguez, superintendent/president of MiraCosta Community College said at a news conference in San Diego.

Opponents of the tax increase said education cuts were being used as a cudgel in the battle over taxes.

“We’re into bullying right now,” Richard Rider, chairman of San Diego Tax Fighters, said of educators’ warnings. “They need to charge the students more, like a user fee.”

Brown this week unveiled his revised $91 billion general-fund spending plan that calls for $8.3 billion in cuts along with the tax increase to cover a $15.7 billion shortfall. Spending for UC and the California State University system would remain flat.

The tax initiative calls for increasing the sales tax by a quarter-cent for four years and hiking income taxes on a sliding scale for seven years on those making more than $250,000 per year.

He plans automatic “trigger” cuts in January if the tax measure fails. The greatest burden — $5.5 billion in cuts — would fall on K-12 schools. UC and CSU would each face $250 million in reductions, while the community college system would lose $300 million.

The cuts, if they come, would follow sharp reductions in public funding already imposed on colleges and universities as the state has struggled through a multiyear budget crisis, officials noted.

Fees have risen steadily at the colleges and universities.

The UC regents will consider boosting tuition again, by 6 percent, at a meeting in July. If approved, it would raise the cost to $12,923 a year, nearly double what it was five years ago. That does not include the cost of room and board, or campus-based fees, which average about $1,000.

UC and community college officials said it is too early to offer too many specifics on what would be cut if the tax measure fails. In general, UC officials said, there would be layoffs, delays in hiring faculty and consolidation, cutbacks and elimination of programs.